Logan USDA Lab Updating Technology After Animal-Welfare Citation

The Poisonous Plant Research Laboratory in Logan, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, was cited in July for inadequate veterinary care and improper handling of animals.

Steven Kappes, associate administrator with the Agriculture Research Service, says that 32 quail chicks died after a room overheated.

“We had received quail chicks and placed them in a room. The temperature in the room was set to 80 degrees, and when the animal caretakers came back a short while later, the room had over heated to 130 degrees,” Kappes said. “The animal caretakers did what they were supposed to do - they moved the remaining chicks to another room. We found out that there was a mechanical sensor that had failed. They notified the institutional animal care and use committee, as well as management.”

Briell Bowman, an employee at the Poisonous Plant Research Lab, said that the facility is constantly improving technology to ensure their mission statement.

“Our mission is to just investigate poisonous plants and things associated with them and try to determine how they affect different animals, and those kind of procedures and to help different farmers and ranchers in the western area to help reduce livestock loses and deaths of that sort,” Bowman said.

The research lab will not conduct any more research with live animals until the new temperature system is installed.